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shin

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shin

1[shin] noun, verb, shinned, shin⋅ning.
–noun
1. the front part of the leg from the knee to the ankle.
2. the lower part of the foreleg in cattle.
3. the shinbone or tibia, esp. its sharp edge or front portion.
4. Chiefly British. a cut of beef similar to the U.S. shank, usually cut into small pieces for stewing.
–verb (used with object), verb (used without object)
5. to climb by holding fast with the hands or arms and legs and drawing oneself up.

Origin:
bef. 1000; ME shine, OE scinu; c. D scheen, G Schien(bein)

shin

2[sheen, shin]
–noun
1. the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
2. the consonant sound represented by this letter.

Origin:
1895–1900; < Heb shīn, akin to shēn tooth

shīn

[sheen]
–noun
the 13th letter of the Arabic alphabet.

Origin:
< Ar

Shin

[shin, sheen]
–noun Buddhism.
a Japanese offshoot of the Pure Land Sect, requiring only faith in Amida for salvation through his accumulated merit.

Origin:
1895–1900; < Japn: lit., faith < MChin, equiv. to Chin zhēn truth
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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shin 1   (shĭn)   
n.  
    1. The front part of the leg below the knee and above the ankle.

    2. The shinbone.

  1. The lower foreleg in beef cattle. Used of cuts of meat.

v.   shinned, shin·ning, shins

v.   tr.
  1. To climb (a rope or pole, for example) by gripping and pulling alternately with the hands and legs.

  2. To kick or hit in the shins.

v.   intr.
  1. To climb something by shinning it.

  2. To move quickly on foot.


[Middle English shine, from Old English scinu; see skei- in Indo-European roots.]
shin 2   (shēn, shĭn)   
n.  The 22nd letter of the Hebrew alphabet. See Table at alphabet.

[Hebrew šîn, of Phoenician origin; see šnn in Semitic roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

shin 
O.E. scinu "shin," from P.Gmc. *skino "thin piece" (cf. Du. scheen, O.H.G. scina, Ger. Schienbein "shin, shinbones"), from PIE base *skei- "to cut, split." The verb meaning "to climb by using arms and legs" (originally a nautical word) is recorded from 1829. A shin-plaster was a piece of paper soaked in vinegar and used to treat sore legs; in U.S. history, it was used jocularly for "devalued low-denomination paper currency" (1824). Shin splints is attested from 1930.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: shin
Pronunciation: 'shin
Function: noun
: the front part of the leg below the knee
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

shin (shĭn)
n.

  1. The front part of the leg located below the knee and above the ankle.

  2. The tibia.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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